Who was the Book of John Addressed to?

[dwight92070]

John 20:8 "So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb (John) then also entered, and he saw and believed."

Wait, I thought John was already a believer. He was, but now he believed that Jesus rose from the dead!

Verse 9 "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, the He must rise again from the dead.

So who did Jesus first appear to, after His resurrection? A nonbeliever? No, to Mary, who was already a believer. See John 20:15-16

And He tells Mary to go find all her unsaved family and friends and tell them that Jesus is alive? NO, he tells her to report this good news to "My brethren", His disciples.

So who does Jesus appear to next? All the nonbelievers in Jerusalem? No, He goes directly to the room where the disciples had locked themselves in, probably for fear that they could also be crucified. He presents Himself alive just to them.

But Thomas didn't happen to be there at that time. In fact, he didn't even believe the other disciples had actually seen Jesus alive. So, eight days later, Jesus appears again to His disciples. This time Thomas is there. Jesus gently rebukes Him, "Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Thomas responds: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus tells him (while the other disciples were listening), "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (That would be US!)

Then the next verse (verse 30) begins with "Therefore," . In other words, what I'm about to say has been written because of the information that I have given you earlier in this chapter and in this book. "Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; AND THAT BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME."

Who is John addressing this to? PRIMARILY BELIEVERS! FOLLOWERS AND DISCIPLES OF JESUS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES! (Although John probably did not know that millions would be reading his book over the centuries) Sure, it's great that nonbelievers read his book, but his primary concern is to strengthen the faith of other Christians, that they may have full assurance that what they have already believed, is in fact, true!

Just as Jesus was NOT appearing to non-Christians, but purposely appeared to those who already believed in Him, so the book of John was purposely written to strengthen the faith of all believers everywhere.

In fact, is there ANY book in the entire Bible specifically addressed to nonbelievers? I don't think so.

This may be why many non-Christians say that they have read the gospels, for example, and yet they appear to be unaffected by it. Why? Maybe because it was not written for them or to them. And yet, it is the gospel that has the power to save, isn't it? So the Father has to draw them to Himself and to Jesus, and if they don't resist that drawing, the gospel message can powerfully save them.

 

[mikesw]

You ask a reasonable question about the writer's intended audience. Each of the gospels has an apparent target group and caters its topics and format for its intended group. The synoptic gospels show more of the evidence of Jesus' history, from lineage to death on the cross. Those gospels showed more of how he was seen publicly in unique fashion from all other people.
The fourth gospel is more of the insider detail about Jesus. The disciples got more intimate knowledge of Christ Jesus. However, your examples seem to speak of the belief of his resurrection. They were told of that resurrection but did not understand what Jesus meant. It is reasonable to find that gospel as supporting the faith of Christians. God works through multiple avenues to strengthen Christian faith -- the OT prophecies, the amazing details of Christ's life, the great display of love through the cross, the NT writings, and the body of Christ. (Many other ways could be listed.) I however do not see it written only to Christians. The caveat is that the gospels would predominantly be shared among Christian groups. So each gospel would initially be known by Christians but then could be used as material in support of evangelism.

 

[civic]

John 20:8 "So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb (John) then also entered, and he saw and believed."

Wait, I thought John was already a believer. He was, but now he believed that Jesus rose from the dead!

Verse 9 "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, the He must rise again from the dead.

So who did Jesus first appear to, after His resurrection? A nonbeliever? No, to Mary, who was already a believer. See John 20:15-16

And He tells Mary to go find all her unsaved family and friends and tell them that Jesus is alive? NO, he tells her to report this good news to "My brethren", His disciples.

So who does Jesus appear to next? All the nonbelievers in Jerusalem? No, He goes directly to the room where the disciples had locked themselves in, probably for fear that they could also be crucified. He presents Himself alive just to them.

But Thomas didn't happen to be there at that time. In fact, he didn't even believe the other disciples had actually seen Jesus alive. So, eight days later, Jesus appears again to His disciples. This time Thomas is there. Jesus gently rebukes Him, "Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Thomas responds: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus tells him (while the other disciples were listening), "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." (That would be US!)

Then the next verse (verse 30) begins with "Therefore," . In other words, what I'm about to say has been written because of the information that I have given you earlier in this chapter and in this book. "Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; AND THAT BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME."

Who is John addressing this to? PRIMARILY BELIEVERS! FOLLOWERS AND DISCIPLES OF JESUS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES! (Although John probably did not know that millions would be reading his book over the centuries) Sure, it's great that nonbelievers read his book, but his primary concern is to strengthen the faith of other Christians, that they may have full assurance that what they have already believed, is in fact, true!

Just as Jesus was NOT appearing to non-Christians, but purposely appeared to those who already believed in Him, so the book of John was purposely written to strengthen the faith of all believers everywhere.

In fact, is there ANY book in the entire Bible specifically addressed to nonbelievers? I don't think so.

This may be why many non-Christians say that they have read the gospels, for example, and yet they appear to be unaffected by it. Why? Maybe because it was not written for them or to them. And yet, it is the gospel that has the power to save, isn't it? So the Father has to draw them to Himself and to Jesus, and if they don't resist that drawing, the gospel message can powerfully save them.

I think its both believers to strengthen their faith and that those who do not believe might come to faith in Christ and have life as we read in Johns purpose statement below.

John 20:31
But these have been written, that ye might believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life in his name.

 

[civic]

I like how Barnes puts it below

Barnes' Notes on the Bible
These are written - Those recorded in this gospel.
That ye might believe ... - This is a clue to the design which John had in view in writing this gospel. The whole scope or end of the book is to accomplish two objects:

1. To prove that Jesus was the Messiah; and,

2. That they who looked at the proof might be convinced and have eternal life.

This design is kept in view throughout the book. The miracles, facts, arguments, instructions, and conversations of our Lord all tend to this. This point had not been kept in view so directly by either of the other evangelists, and it was reserved for the last of the apostles to collect those arguments, and make out a connected demonstration that Jesus was the Messiah. If this design of John is kept steadily in view, it will throw much light on the book, and the argument is unanswerable, framed after the strictest rules of reasoning, infinitely beyond the skill of man, and having throughout the clearest evidence of demonstration.

 

[civic]

This is also a good point below:

The Purpose of John’s Gospel​

Someone who is studying resurrection truth will probably use 1 Corinthians 15 at some point. Someone who is studying love will probably turn to 1 Corinthians 13. Someone studying prophecy will more than likely look to the books of Revelation, Ezekiel, or Daniel. The reason is simple: those books and passages deal with those particular topics. And when it comes to the question, “What must a person do to be born again?” we should look to the Gospel of John. Is this because the answer to this question can’t be found elsewhere? No. There are other books of the Bible that contain the message of life (e.g. Acts 16:31; Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16; 1 John 5:1; etc.). However, while other books of the Bible answer this question, there is only one book that was written specifically to answer this question. To put it another way, in the entire canon of Scripture there is only book whose aim and purpose is evangelistic: the Gospel of John. We know this because, in 20:30-31, John clearly stated his purpose for writing:

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

No other book of the Bible says what John says here, because no other book of the Bible was written for this specific purpose. Therefore, if a person wants to know how to have eternal life, he or she need read no further than the Gospel of John. If further revelation is needed beyond John’s Gospel, then we must concede that John failed to achieve his purpose. doug potgeter

hope this helps !!!

​

 

[dwight92070]

It's clearly John's purpose to get people to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we may have life in His name. But even that sentence reveals two scenarios: 1. To believe now and 2. To continue "believing". So his book is much more than just a tool for evangelism. In fact, I see a real problem with that belief. One could easily say, "Well, since I'm already saved, I will concentrate on other books and use that one for nonbelievers, when the need arises."

In fact, no other book so powerfully and so directly lifts up Jesus to His rightful position as God in the flesh. Okay, maybe Hebrews as well. Just a few verses earlier in John 20:28, Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!"
There's NO WAY that Jesus would let that slide if Thomas was speaking heresy! Instead, Jesus acknowledged his statement as being the truth by saying: "Because you have seen Me, HAVE YOU BELIEVED?"
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ... "And the Word became flesh ..."
Everywhere you look in John, Jesus is elevated and glorified and magnified as being God's equal!

I don't know about you, but that put's a FIRE in my bones and supercharges my faith to see His glory revealed!!!

John not only had his focus on believing in Jesus but on WHO IN PARTICULAR should believe in Him - His disciples - and WHAT IN PARTICULAR they should believe about Him - that HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD. and in that believing WE MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.

 

[mikesw]

I like how Barnes puts it below

Barnes' Notes on the Bible
These are written - Those recorded in this gospel.
That ye might believe ... - This is a clue to the design which John had in view in writing this gospel. The whole scope or end of the book is to accomplish two objects:

1. To prove that Jesus was the Messiah; and,

2. That they who looked at the proof might be convinced and have eternal life.

This design is kept in view throughout the book. The miracles, facts, arguments, instructions, and conversations of our Lord all tend to this. This point had not been kept in view so directly by either of the other evangelists, and it was reserved for the last of the apostles to collect those arguments, and make out a connected demonstration that Jesus was the Messiah. If this design of John is kept steadily in view, it will throw much light on the book, and the argument is unanswerable, framed after the strictest rules of reasoning, infinitely beyond the skill of man, and having throughout the clearest evidence of demonstration.

I couldn't find whey he hear from Barnes but not Nobel . Underlying my earlier post is that the synoptic gospels point predominant to public details of the incarnate Jesus. These would tend to be evangelistic focused -- of eyewitness testimony. The fourth gospel provides the deeper understanding of Christ that Christians need to know. For example John 1 goes into the way the disciples personally beheld him -- or saw in him -- his divine nature as a human among them.
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